The 3rd annual Seniors Championship took place during the week-end of 26 – 27 October 2103 at the Centenary Tennis Club, Wanderers at Illovo Johannesburg. The weather was glorious, the team spirits were all at a high and again a wonderful week-end’s tennis of high standard was enjoyed by all. 

The Format

Each club team was formed by 6 invited players (4men and 2 women) in the following age groups: 1 Lady +30, 1 Lady +45, 1 man +35, 2 men +45, 1 man +55. Each tie included 6 singles, 2 doubles and 2 mixed doubles games, each game being 11 games. So each match totals 121 games and each team play 3 matches for a possible 363 games. The team with the most games wins the championship. Match 1 is played on Saturday morning after a welcoming breakfast and introductions, match 2 on Saturday afternoon after a lunch served by Silvasale at the soccer pavilion and Match 3 on Sunday afternoon, which is then followed by the prize-giving and a pizza dinner at the pizza den.

The Championship

For the 3rd year in a row the championship winners were Bedfordview Club who pipped Old Edwardians by just one game. Last year they again took it from Old Edwardians by two games, so it was another nail-biting finish for these two clubs. The beautiful original trophy courtesy of CTC’s main sponsor, EFG International a  Private Bank of Switzerland was therefore taken home by Bedfordview to be kept and rest on their shelves.

Marks Park finished 3rd and Wanderers as good hosts took place number 4. The final game scores were, Bedfordview 219, Old Edwardians 218, Marks Park 153 and Wanderers 124. The reason the sums do not tally to 726 games (121 x 6) is that both Old Eds and Wanderers were penalized 6 games each for bringing in a reserve player for the Sunday afternoon session. This was in line with the published rules.

The members of the invitation teams were:

Bedfordview Country Club

Fausto Pietrobon (No1 +35), Bruno Maraschin (No2+45), Chester Conroy(No3+55), Demetri Caripi (No4+55), and Jenny Ross (No1+45) and Sharon Coetzee(No2+30).

Old Edwardians

Chris Lister James (No1 +35) & (No2 for Sunday)/Brendan Zackey(No1 +35)on Sunday, Gary Cahn (No2+45)  &(No3 for Sunday ), Hugo Steyn (No3 +45), Miles Foxcroft (No4, +55) and Collett Smith (No1 +30) and Phyllis Nel (No2+45)

Marks Park

Alec Galanakis (No1 +45), Trevor Williams (no2+45), Cuele Cvetkovich (No3+35) and John Coetzee (No4+55) and Marie Ried (No1 +30) and Carol Mouton (No2 + 45)